ANALYSIS: Rabuka Resigns From SODELPA

Sitiveni Rabuka confirmed last night that he had resigned from SODELPA after his membership fee was paid.

Mr Rabuka, a former prime minister, said it was a matter of principle “not the $2 fee”.

He said he had informed the party’s general secretary Pio Tabaiwalu. He said there were people in the party including Opposition leader Ro Teimumu Kepa who still did not accept him.

He said SODELPA was heading to self-destruct.

His decision to pull out came after SODELPA president Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu and Ro Teimumu issued a joint statement after a meeting in Suva yesterday.

Ratu Naiqama and Ro Teimumu said: “We affirm our political commitment and support for each other and we resolve to be steadfast in the face of all the efforts to divide us.”

“We both have dual roles to play with our resolve with our respective responsibilities as heads of our confederacies as well as our political obligations as party president and party leader.”

Ratu Naiqama had called Mr Rabuka last Friday offering him one of the three vice-presidential positions in the party’s annual general meeting in Suva on Saturday.

It is understood the joint statement by the two leaders must have upset Mr Rabuka who genuinely felt that Ratu Naiqama was on his side.

Ratu Naiqama has now upset the group that had lobbied hard to invite Mr Rabuka privately. The group felt that the party needed the leadership experience of Mr Rabuka to bolster its chances of winning the 2018 general election.

He was part of a plan to back the proposed amendments to the party’s constitution which aim to modernize the party to be compliant with the current political realities or face the danger of becoming irrelevant.

The amendments comprise significant changes in the party governance.

They take cognizance of the complications and problems that contributed to SODELPA’s general election loss last year.

They strengthen the position of president in a clearly re-defined role as the overall chief of the party.

The parliamentary leader’s role would also be re-defined to ensure there is no clash between the two roles. The change would require more consultation between the two.